


Humble Beginnings

by A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class



Series: The history of the USA as near as I can figure [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: (this isn't actually helping), :(, AND WHY, Be aware Jersey cusses a lot, But I hope you like it anyway, But like England is not that important, Colonial America, Do people even read tags?, I mean he is, Wow, and idk how long this will take, but he's not actually in the story, but it's fun, dunno what to say about Pennsylvania, enjoy, i need to study for APUSH, idk - Freeform, if you do comment the best year in American history, she's pretty chill, so York's chapter kinda sucks, so enjoy, so proceed with caution, so things happened
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-08-05
Packaged: 2020-01-16 06:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18515767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class/pseuds/A_sillyGermaninLatin_Class
Summary: The beginnings of the United States of America, as he discovers more about who and what he is. [on HIATUS until I get around to fixing it up]





	1. Virginia

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, a new story!
> 
> I hope you enjoy, I rather did, trying to find a nice setting and hopefully somewhat accurately describe American colonies. If I failed miserably please tell me, I do appreciate comments.
> 
>  
> 
> Also if you get to the end and you enjoyed it, please leave a kudos. It's shocking how much good they do for the soul.

America quite liked living under the care of England. England told the best stories, making beautiful moving pictures out of magic while he did. He had a nice house and was near enough to town that he could get things if he needed to. But England made sure that he never needed to go anywhere out of necessity. Of course, England was not around frequently, so America often wandered up and down the coast while he was gone. He had no particular goal, just a pull to go past England’s property.

 

He hadn’t intended to meet the Virginias, in fact, they met him in a way. He had been away from his new home for a couple of days. Rather long, if you considered the fact that he looked like 6 year old child. In any case, he had ended up in a decently sized town near the James River. It was market day, and there were many carts and horses and people going to and fro to get everything done. America was getting hungry. There was a conveniently placed stall of apples at the corner just across the street from where he was watching. The tender was dozing off and not paying close attention. Glancing back and forth across the street, America darted forward. And was promptly yanked back by his collar as a horse and rider dashed through the road, right where he would have been.

 

America fell backwards from the force of the pull and landed heavily on the ground, which gave out a great ‘oof’ as he landed on it. He blinked upward as the clear blue sky was filled with England’s face.

 

America let out a small laugh of delight, “Hey Iggy! You got short! When’d you get so young?”

 

England frowned in confusion, “I’m not...Who is  _ Iggy _ ?”

 

“You?”

 

“No. I’m not  _ Iggy _ . … Could you please get off my sister?”

 

“What?” America looked down and finally saw what, or rather who, he had landed on. A girl with long blond hair and sharp green eyes was sprawled on the ground beneath him. She looked about 2 or 3 years older than he was. America scrambled up in a panic, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on you. It was an accident, I swear! I --”

 

She smiled quietly, “Don’t worry. It’s no problem. Help me up?”

 

“Oh--Oh, yes! Of course.”

 

He hauled her up and, when she was standing, proceded to brush off her dress fervently. It was a pretty dress, a light tan color. The dirt from the ground was obvious all along the back.

 

“Stop!” she cried, “It’s fine, I swear to you. I can wash it when I go home.”

 

“I  _ am _ sorry. Miss...?”

 

“My apologies for not introducing myself.” she smiled, “My name is Virginia.”

 

“Like the colony?”

 

“Yes, exactly so.”

 

At this, her brother let out a sharp cough. America turned to face him, but he was looking devoutly at the ground between his feet. America frowned and turned back to Virginia. She was looking at him oddly, a frown on her features. America didn’t want her to frown.

 

“Tell me,” she began, “How old are you?”

 

“6” he smiled. That was the answer England told him to give.

 

“No. I mean really. How  _ old _ are you?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

She frowned again and turned briefly to her brother. “Let’s take you home. Give you a meal and a warm bed. No matter how old you are you ought to be well fed.”

 

“Ginny” her brother finally spoke, “are you sure?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely.”

 

\----------------

 

They lived in a nice house near the middle of town. It happened to be the house of one of the major families in the area; the wife was barren and had taken the siblings in one day. She was more than willing to order a larger lunch prepared so that the three of them could eat together. However, she insisted everyone be clean, so America ended up wearing some of the boy’s old clothes and Virginia changed into a nice blue dress.

 

The three of them ended up having lunch on an old table cloth in the yard in the back. The Missus was busy inside, and her husband was out on business. At least that’s Virginia said. She was very talkative, her brother was content to sit and let her speak for him.

 

“And by rights I ought to be with her, learning to run a household. But I’d rather be with the people, don’t you agree?” she turned to her brother, who only nodded. Unswayed, she continued on, “And he ought to be with the master, learning business. But he won’t go anywhere without me and business is no place for a lady. At least, that’s what everyone says. I don’t see why I can’t run a business. I’m expected to run a home and what’s the difference between the two?”

 

“Not much.” smiled America through the pot pie he was steadily devouring.

 

“You’re right. But I don’t want to rock the boat, so to speak.” she paused and looked hard at America. “Well, enough about me. Tell me, where are you from? Who are your people?”

 

“I live up to Potomac River. To the north of here.”

 

“Quite a journey then, to end up here by the James River.”

 

“Yes. And my people. Hmm. Well, my brother is Arthur Kirkland. He looks an awful lot like you” America nodded toward Virginia’s brother.

 

“Ah.” she smiled, “and what is your name?”

 

“Alfred Kirkland.”

 

“And how old  _ are _ you, Alfred Kirkland?”

 

America was suddenly struck with the feeling that she knew more than she was letting on. “About 68? I don’t rightly know myself.”

 

Virginia smiled and turned victoriously to her brother, seeming to say ‘I told you so’. She soon turned back to America.

 

“And who are you exactly, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

“The British American Colonies. But Iggy calls me America.”

 

The boy spoke up, scorn obvious in his tone, “The  _ British American Colonies _ . How incredibly useless.”

 

Virginia turned on him, “Hush  bràthair. It’s not his fault he isn’t aware.”

 

“Aware of what?” asked America

 

“I am the colony of Virginia. So is my brother, but we haven’t found a suitable name for him yet, so I just call him  bràthair most of the time.”

 

“Oh.” America smiled widely, “You can keep me company and stay when Iggy’s gone away! I won’t be alone anymore!”

 

“I assume  _ Iggy _ is England?” when America nodded yes, she said, “Well, I’d rather not meet him. I’m sure he has his hands full with you. He wouldn’t need two more. And we’ve settled comfortably here.”

 

“You’ll visit though, won’t you?”

 

“As much as we’re able.” she smiled and stood up. Her brother stood as well and they both began to pack away the remains of their lunch.

 

\----------------

 

America ended up staying with the Virginias for about a week before he felt the call again and decided to leave. Both Virginias were sad to see him go, certainly her brother had warmed up to him quickly enough. He had helped America pack a sack filled with food and clothes for his journey, as well as a small knife. They had spent hours together learning how to use it properly.

 

The Virginias walked him to the edge of town to see him off. When they got there America tackled them both in a bone-crushing hug. “Goodbye Ginny.” he said,  “Goodbye bràthair.” And with that, he went north.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historical Notes:
> 
> Virginia:  
> Virginia was finally founded in 1607 after a couple failed attempts. The colony's charter was granted to the Virginia Company, a joint stock company, in 1606 by King James I. Virginia was named after Queen Elizabeth, the virgin queen. The original goal of the colony was to find gold, so they followed the example of Spain, and sent only men. They didn't have the skill set required to take care of themselves, no farmers etc. Instead they demanded tribute from the Native Peoples and wasted all of their time digging for gold instead of planting food. Jamestown, where they settled, was a very poor place to live. It was swampy, and had little access to potable water. Many of the settlers died of mosquito borne diseases and starvation. The settlers didn't get along very well with the local Native people (who's chief was Powhatan). Political issues between the groups led to many years of war between them. Things finally looked up for the colony at the discovery of tobacco. This was a cash crop in much the same way as sugar was in the Caribbean. The growth of tobacco encouraged migration, and to support this the Virginia Company offered land to those who traveled, especially indentured servants. In 1619 the Company also created the House of Burgesses, that oversaw local laws. It answered to the crown, but was essentially an independent local government. Eventually, because the indentured servants only served for a set number of years, and were then "free", the colony switched to slave labor. This was because the released indentured servants demanded land of their own and the aristocracy didn't want to be overthrown. Bacon's Rebellion was the deciding factor in this. When the tobacco market crashed in the 1660's slavery became more set in the colony as did the power of the plantation owners. Virginia became a royal colony in 1624.


	2. Maryland

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before we get to the story, I have a tale I'd like to tell...  
> These past two weeks I've embarked on that wonderful part of life called "help! I need to find a place for higher education". Essentially I'm looking for colleges and universities to educate myself at after high school. I'm currently a Junior, but if I know now it makes everything easier later. So I went for two weeks on a tour of sorts of the Pacific North West. I drove up to Idaho, where I was starting, through Nevada. Nevada isn't part of PNW, and is essentially a great big desert. It looks an awful lot like parts of California, all vast and brown. When we got to Idaho, I had something of a culture shock. People there are very friendly. That's not to say that Californians aren't friendly, but we wouldn't walk up to strangers at a motel after breakfast and chat. Which is what happened. A nice old woman walked up to me and my mom while we were eating breakfast and began to talk about Idaho and why she was in Nampa. It was all kinda surreal. The second thing I noticed was that it was all rather cold, apparently the snow had just melted a few weeks before. On to Washington, it was all very green. I know that sounds stupid, but living in the Central Valley, I just expected everything to be the same. I was not prepared for it to rain (It did, very cool), and the amount of green was shocking. Seattle was nice, it was essentially a combo of San Francisco and Sacramento (with a lot of pot shops). That was another thing. There were a lot of pot shops. Which makes sense, weed is legal, but in California you don't see pot shops just on the corner (at least not where I live). I also got to see Canada. I'd never seen it before, so that was cool. The rest of my family met up with me in Seattle, and we drove back down to California together. We stopped in Oregon, cause education and all that, and I didn't realize that Oregon had only full serve gas stations. That doesn't happen in California. It was kinda awkward, since we'd get out to fuel the car, and the attendant would do it for us. But it was all really cool. I'd never been to Washington or Idaho before, so I'm glad I went. The colleges I looked at were: Whitman College (WA), University of Idaho (ID), Washington State University (WA), Gonzaga (WA), University of Washington (WA), University of Portland (OR), Reed College (OR), Lewis and Clark College (OR), Oregon State University (OR), and University of Oregon (OR). And personally, I liked UI the best, but they were all interesting.
> 
> That's all! On to what you are actually here for!

Alfred tried to travel north quickly, but the roads were essentially dirt trails and full of ruts. Occasionally a carriage that belonged to a wealthy family would rumble past him, but that was rather infrequent. Traders too passed by with their goods, seeking better markets. He struggled into Annapolis two weeks after he left the Virginias. All of the food he had brought with him had run out a week in so he had resorted to scavenging berries and other edible plants, and, if he passed a farm, taking some eggs if there were chickens or vegetables from the garden if there weren’t. Still, when he arrived in Annapolis he looked like a raggamuffin.

 

He stopped in the center of town by an inn. Walking around to the back, he found a water trough with decently clean water. He was so focused on washing his face and hands, he didn’t notice the 8-ish year old girl walk out of the inn. She was wearing ankle length pants and a loose cotton shirt belted at the waist. Her shoulder length brown hair was held back with a rag tied around her head like the pirates Iggy told him to avoid. Alfred jerked up when he heard a giggle right behind him.

 

“Silly, you aren’t a horse.” she laughed.

 

“No, of course not,” he responded sulkily.

 

“So what were you doing in the water trough?”

 

“I was washing myself. I was filthy.”

 

“Why don’t you just come in and get a bath then?”

 

“I’ve no money.”

 

She laughed again, rather loudly, but still a delightful sound. “How’d you get here then?”

 

“I walked.”

 

“From where?”

 

“Williamsburg. It’s on the James River. In Virginia”

 

“ _ That far _ ! You’re mad!”

 

“I guess… I just kinda felt like I had to be here? I don’t really know.”

 

“Well that’s a stupid reason if I’ve ever heard one.” she sniffed.

 

“Who are you to decide if reasons are stupid or not?”

 

“I’m the best fisher in the whole colony.” she said, puffing out her chest, before muttering “If people would notice me.”

 

Alfred looked at her with undisguised awe, “Your parents let you go fishing?”

 

“No. I take care of myself. I live down by the water. If I need anything, the church has charity for the poor.”

 

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

 

She grinned again. “It’s alright. Nothing you can do about it.”

 

With that, she turned and flounced back into the inn. Well, flounced as well as she could while wearing pants, which was very well mind you. Alfred finished washing up before wandering around Annapolis some. By evening, he had ended up in the shipyards, watching men and boys build and repair ships for fishing, oystering, and trading across the sea.

 

~~A few days later~~

 

Alfred had been spending his time wandering the docks, watching and listening to the sailors in the bars; stealing food, mostly breads and fruits, off of stands; and searching for the girl he’d met at the inn. The sailors were coarse and vulgar, but they had wonderful stories of their experiences. Especially pirates. Iggy hardly  _ ever  _ talked about pirates, though he was often sailing around ‘on business’. The food was fine, though it tasted sweeter as a fruit of his own labor. Iggy always said stealing was bad, but he had no money and no one would hire a child and pay them  _ well _ . The girl, however, remained elusive. Alfred, when he could gather the courage, would ask the sailors about her, but none of them were willing to answer.

 

Finally, he gave up on finding her. If she didn’t want to be found he wouldn’t seek her out. Probably. Come Sunday, Alfred made his way to a Catholic church for a change. England only ever took him to the Anglican services. Alfred didn’t understand it, it was the same God no matter where you went He shouldn’t care how you went about worshiping him. The service was nice, essentially what he was used to. On his way out after the service had ended he saw the girl again. She was hurrying out a side door and looked like she was about to be sick. Alfred ran after her, into the side courtyard. She was hunched over the bushes dry heaving.

 

“Hey, hey. What’s the matter? It’ll be alright.” murmured Alfred, rubbing her back.

 

“I’m fine,” she said in a bit, after she’d finished and wiped her mouth, “I’m fine.”

 

“Here, why don’t we go to your home. I’ll make sure you’re recovering, and everything.”

 

~~Swoosh (those scene changes George Lucas uses in Star Wars)~~

 

She had a two-room house, if you could call it that, near a personal dock into the bay. A small sailboat was moored there, and the dock was covered in empty crab traps. Inside the front room was a small cooking area, consisting of a counter over cupboards and a fireplace. There was a table and chair against the opposite wall, and the rest of the area was filled with half-built traps, broken traps in the process of being repaired, an assortment of nets, and many varieties of knives. The back room had her bed and a wardrobe.

 

Alfred laid her on the bed, which she protested, but Alfred was insistent. Finally she sank down into the sheets. Alfred took the chair from the other room and set it next to the bed.

 

“So do you know why you’re sick?” he asked finally.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“You gonna tell me?”

 

“No. It doesn’t involve you.”

 

“But I carried you all the way here. The least you could do is tell me why you’re sick.”

 

“It doesn’t involve you boy. Let me be.”

 

“Fine then. I’ll make you something light to eat, and stay with you tonight.”

 

“That’s absolutely unnecessary. I can take care of myself.”

 

Her protests, however, fell on deaf ears, as Alfred made his way to her fireplace and began scrounging up a light crab broth. They ate together in the bedroom, Alfred happily chattering about his experiences in Annapolis.

 

“Mary.” she interrupted him suddenly, “My name is Mary. I was named after the Queen.”

 

“Alfred.” he grinned at her, “An old King.”

 

“Well Alfred.” she looked him dead in the eyes, “I feel’s though I can trust you.”

 

“Well  _ sure  _ I’m trustworthy. I ain’t gonna sell you out! Well, unless it’s something awful like.”

 

“I’m the Province of Maryland.” she said, looking away.

 

Alfred launched himself up onto her bed and tackled her into a hug. She let out a surprised laugh, but hugged him back equally as hard. Alfred suddenly held out his hand to shake. When Mary did, he said in a nice official voice, “Hello Province of Maryland. I am the British American Colonies. It’s wonderful to meet you!”

 

They both talked late into the night, enjoying each other's company. She was a wonderful storyteller, and was more than willing to share tales of her exploits at sea. Alfred was pretty sure most of what she described was exaggeration, but it was entertaining to listen and imagine.

 

They ended up spending two weeks together, Mary taught Alfred how to lay crab traps and how to barter and sell the crabs once they got them. She also taught him how to sail in her boat  _ The Oriole _ , but he got horribly seasick easily. Soon though, Alfred felt the call again, this time more to the east, across the Chesapeake. When he mentioned it to Mary, she only grunted. (She didn’t really like her neighbors).

 

She did however help Alfred pack all of his belongings into a small sack. (He didn’t have much, only a spare set of clothes and a little money they’d made off of crabs). Once he felt satisfied that he had everything, they went out to  _ The Oriole _ . He really didn’t want to sail, but he’d figured about a week to walk, and Mary had figured about 2 days (if the winds were right) sailing, so he accepted the necessity of convenience.

 

Two days later, a horribly seasick Alfred was deposited in New Castle by Maryland who, as soon as she knew Alfred would be alright, turned and sailed back to her territory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historical Notes:
> 
> Maryland:  
> Maryland was founded in 1634 after King Charles I (successor to King James I) granted a charter to Cecilius Calvert (Lord Baltimore) in 1632. It was intended as a refuge for English Catholics, since they were facing persecution in England. It to was a plantation colony, and relied on tobacco, however fishing was also important to the economy. Baltimore quickly became an important city for trade in the region. Political strife caused Baltimore to grant the settlers a representative assembly. Baltimore encouraged the passage of the Toleration Act (1649) to protect Catholics, but religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics was still very frequent. There was also disagreements between colonies, from 1631 to 1657 Maryland and Virginia fought over the placement of the border, though this was also religiously motivated, as Virginia was protestant. Still despite this conflict, Maryland ended up very similar socially to Virginia. Maryland later had a conflict with Pennsylvania over the border which resulted in the Mason-Dixon Line (which defined which states were southern and which weren't). Maryland also claimed some territory that was New York's in 1672, but this didn't go anywhere as the crown gave it to New York. Maryland became a royal colony in 1689, when the charter was withdrawn.
> 
> And I think that's all. If you liked this please leave a kudos or a comment, they brighten my day every time. :)


	3. Delaware

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that took forever. Oops. Sorry.
> 
> But I do have an excuse. Namely Finals. I've had testing since Friday 10th, and I won't actually be done until the 22nd. Yay. 
> 
>  
> 
> That being said, please enjoy!

New Castle was a pretty town. It looked very fresh and new; the houses were freshly painted and the edges were sharp. The people bustled about with purpose as they had everywhere else he had been previously. There was, however, a division in the people there. Some seemed fresh-faced, new to the town and not quite familiar. The others seemed guarded and cautious, almost afraid of the others.

 

Alfred, however, didn’t notice any of this. He was too busy trying not to retch onto the dock. A soothing had appeared suddenly, rubbing his back.

 

“Hey, hey. It’s going to be alright. Just breathe. In and out. Like that. Good.”

 

Finally, when the last vestiges of nausea faded, he turned to look at whomever had decided to have pity on him. It was a young woman. She had long black hair that was tied in a knot at the nape of her neck and was covered by a large hat. Her eyes were a soft and welcoming brown, set in a round and welcoming face. She was wearing a long red dress that looked very expensive, and fine white gloves.

 

“Who are you?” he croaked, after taking her in.

 

“... Sarah Fawcett. Who are you?”

 

“Alfred Kirkland.”

 

“Well, Mr. Kirkland. What are you doing all alone on the dock?”

 

“I was horribly sea sick.”

 

She cracked a smile, and didn’t seem to notice his avoidance of the question. Instead, she offered him her hand to help him up. Alfred didn’t take it, it would be a shame to ruin her gloves with his dirty hands.

 

Once he was standing, she took him by his elbow and led him deeper into the city. They ended up by a very nice house that stood imperiously next to its neighbors.

 

Sarah paused by the door. “This is my husband’s house. He’s a magistrate for the crown.” She looked down at Alfred and smiled. “Come inside. I’ll have one of the slaves run up a wash for you and set a small supper.”

 

Alfred smiled at her kindness, “Thank you Mrs. Fawcett.”

 

She nodded and turned toward the interior of the house, “Christina!” she shouted, “We have a guest. Show him to the bath.”

 

“Ja frun!” came a voice from somewhere in the house.

 

“English, Christina! You know what happens if you speak Swedish or Dutch!”

 

“Yes ma’am.” came the same voice, closer, yet quieter than before.

 

An 8 year old girl came out of the hallway. When Alfred saw her he was surprised. She was very tall for her age and had ragged blond hair that fell over a regal face. She was wearing a coarse shift and a apron that both seemed in need of a good darning. She looked at him with a cool disinterest.

 

“Come with. The bathroom is this way.” That said she turned on her heel and led Alfred through the house to a room in the back.

 

“Wait, _you’re_ a slave?”

 

“Ja. sit here while I fill the bowl.”

 

“But you’re white.”

 

“So? I’m Dutch-Swedish. The English don’t care what you look like, only if you’re in their way or not.”

 

“Oh. I don’t think so. Eng--Arthur isn’t very power hungry.”

 

She snorted, “Maakt niet uit wat _je_ denkt. Du är engelska, de kommer förstås inte att störa dig. Here, wash up.”

 

Alfred took the proffered bar of soap and began to scrub at his hands and face furiously. Once his hands and face were clean Christina led him back to Sarah, who was sitting in the drawing room. She looked up when Alfred stepped in and smiled at him.

 

“Come, sit.” she smiled, “tell me about yourself. Jasmin will bring in lunch soon. And I’d like for you to meet my husband, Ethan, when he arrives home.”

 

Alfred began to describe living with Arthur. He was careful to leave out names and other things that would let her know that he wasn’t human. He may be young, but he wasn’t stupid. As he talked an old black woman walked in with a tray of dainties and tea and set it on the table. Sarah poured tea out for the both of them, and served the dainties.

 

She listened without interrupting, and only spoke once he had finished. “My, what an interesting childhood you’ve had. Your brother moved from England to Virginia? How exciting!” she paused then before continuing, “Tell me, what’s been your schooling?”

 

“My schooling?”

 

“Yes, haven’t you been taught things like reading and writing and maths?”

 

“Oh. Yes, Arthur’s been teaching me my letters when he’s home. And some of the history, he knows stories and such. But nothing more than that really.”

 

“Then I shall take it upon myself to finish your education. Christina is learning her letters and such as well.”

 

“Oh, thank you Mrs. Fawcett, but I’d hate to abuse your hospitality.”

 

“It’s no trouble, _really_. I can’t expect you to stay alone, and I’m not expecting any guests soon.”

 

~~Time Skip~~

 

Ethan Fawcett was a tall thin man with a severe face framed by lank black hair. He didn’t look as if he smiled often, and this gloom was only enhanced by his outfit. It was all black and dark dull browns. Alfred couldn’t comprehend how a woman like Sarah ended up with him, they seemed completely different.

 

As soon as Ethan saw Alfred he frowned even more deeply and took Sarah out into the hall, not even sparing him a second glance. They both came back into the drawing room and sat down across from Alfred. Sarah looked rumpled, but Ethan looked just the same.

 

“So, Alfred,” sighed Sarah, “Ethan brought up a very important point. You don’t live here, and you have a brother. And I’m sure your brother misses you. So you will be going with Ethan next week. He is leaving on a business trip to Virginia, and has graciously decided to take you with him. However, until this time you will be living with us.”

 

“Oh.” smiled Alfred, “Thank you.”

 

Ethan frowned, “Alfred. Where do you live? So that I may organize your travel to your family's home.”

 

“Potomac Plantation. It’s on the Virginia side of the Potomac.” Answered Alfred promptly.

 

“Very well. My business is in Williamsburg. But I’m sure I can arrange for a ship to take you to your house on our way.”

 

“Thank you sir.”

 

Mr. Fawcett sighed before standing and walking into the dining room. Sarah turned to Alfred with a small smile, before leading him after her husband.

 

~~Good Morning Tomorrow~~

 

Sarah ran the schooling lessons in the mid morning after breakfast. Alfred and Christina would sit across from her and share a book, while Sarah went through the finer points of grammar and spelling and maths. Alfred, for all of England’s teaching, was very poor with grammar. He adored maths though, and took to it like a fish to water. The lessons ended just before lunch, when Christina had to help Jasmin with the meal.

 

After lunch Alfred was dragged around town with Sarah, who set out to get him new clothes. They started at a merchant’s shop, where she let Alfred pick his fabric (a pretty vermilion cotton), and then went down the street to a tailor’s shop. He was fitted for a weskit and coat of the vermilion, a fine pair of cotton breeches, and bought a shirt of plain linen. Alfred didn’t see the point, the clothes that bràthair had given him were still wearable. They reeked slightly of fish, but despite the fact that he’d been wearing them for over a month and only washed them once or twice, they were remarkably clean. When he voiced this to Sarah, she simply laughed and told him he’d get the new clothes anyway.

 

Once they arrived back at the house, Sarah had to attend to guests who would be visiting, so Alfred was free to do as he pleased so long as he didn’t wander to far. He ended up following Christina around the house as she did her chores.

 

“Why are you following me?” she asked eventually.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You. Why are you following me?”

 

“Cause you’re interesting.”

 

“ _I’m_ interesting.”

 

“Sure. I’ve never met someone who doesn’t speak just English before. ‘Sides, you feel funny.”

 

“Vad.”

 

“You don’t have the same vibe as Sarah does, or Mr. Fawcett, or Jasmin.”

 

“What does that even mean?”

 

“You’re Delaware aren’t you?”

 

She tensed at this and looked resolutely away from him, saying nothing.

 

“So you are.” he laughed.

 

She turned to him, a dangerous glint in her eyes, “Yes. But you can’t say _anything_ to _anyone_. Verstaan?”

 

“Completely. I’m the British American Colonies, by the way. It’s nice to meet you, Delaware.”

 

She sighed, and the tension seemed to fall from her body. After running a hand through her hair she turned back to her chores. “Come on then, _America_. See if you can’t be helpful, since you’re following me, and carry these sheets.”

  


-o0o-

 

The rest of the week followed in a similar fashion. Alfred would take lessons in the morning, then follow Delaware around the house. Sarah, when she noticed this, would take him with her as she went around town socializing. About the third day Sarah took him back to the tailors, and he got his finished clothes. They were very fine, the red stood out among the crowds of people.

 

The night before Mr. Fawcett was set to leave Delaware helped him pack all of his belongings. As they were folding all of his clothes into a haversack she began to speak.

 

“Be careful, America. I like you, I don’t want to see you hurt. Just know that those you look up to are the first to let you down.”

 

“Wha--”

 

“Just bear in mind that Empires are built on the blood of the weak and unfortunate.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Go back to your brother, keep him close, but don’t become enslaved to him. Trust me, you do _not_ want this life.”

 

“But--”

 

“ _Vaarwel_ America.”

 

“Adjö Delaware.”

 

She smiled and handed Alfred the packed bag and left him in the spare room to think about what she had said.

 

~-o0o-~

 

The next morning Mr. Fawcett led Alfred down to the docks. There was a galleon in dock, and the crew was busy making small repairs and restocking. They looked ragged and rough, a thoroughly unpleasant bunch. When they arrived, Mr. Fawcett began to discuss with the captain about an extra passenger. The captain was about the same height as he, if not a little taller, and held himself as if he was accustomed to power. Both men talked back and forth for a few minutes before the captain finally nodded and turned back to his crew.

 

The next day saw the galleon, _The Estella_ , coming into Norfolk. Mr. Fawcett had grudgingly taken care of Alfred while he was seasick. The galleon was even worse than Mary’s fish boat had been. It rocked back and forth with every swell, and Alfred’s stomach lurched with it.

 

Because Mr. Fawcett was traveling to Williamsburg, and _The Estella_ was continuing south to the Caribbean, he departed the ship in Norfolk along with Alfred. Both spent a day at an inn before continuing with their travels to rest and recuperate and prepare. Mr. Fawcett managed to secure travel up the Potomac for Alfred that would depart at the same time as his ship to Jamestown.

 

The sloop Alfred was taking didn’t go all the way to England’s home, but there was a trail that you could take if you knew where to look, which Alfred did. This captain was much kinder than that of the galleon, and let him retch over the side of the boat when he needed to. They made good time, and so Alfred arrived close to his home just past sunset.

 

Alfred ran the few miles he had left to the house. It was hot and uncomfortable as the heat of the day had not faded at sunset and the bugs had come out with a vengeance. Sill he ran, his pack bouncing along his back. After all his travel he was glad to be coming home.

 

The house, when he arrived (out of breath), was dark and closed off. Which was good, since that meant Iggy wasn’t back yet. Alfred let himself in the side door and went quietly to his room. Finally after many _many_ weeks of travel he was in his own bed once more.

 

The next day he set to cleaning the dust left by his absence and airing out the house as best as he was able. He also snuck into Iggy’s office at the end of the hall in second floor to take a pen and some paper. Very carefully he penned a letter to the Virginias, Maryland, and Delaware, thanking them for letting him stay with them and expressing his desire to talk with them again at some point in the future. (These letters wouldn’t be mailed for many days, and wouldn’t be actually delivered for a few more weeks after that, but the intent was there, and a connection had begun.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Translations/Definitions:  
> Ja frun - Yes ma'am (Swedish)  
> Ja - Yes (Swedish)  
> Maakt niet uit wat je denkt - Doesn't matter what you think (Dutch)  
> Du är engelska, de kommer förstås inte att störa dig - You're English, of course they won't bother you (Swedish)  
> Vad - What (Swedish)  
> Verstaan - Understand (Dutch)  
> Vaarwel - Goodbye (Dutch)  
> Adjö - Goodbye (Swedish)  
> Weskit - it's a waistcoat
> 
> Historical References:  
> Delaware is named after Thomas West, Lord De La Warr, the second governor of Virginia. Both the Dutch and the English had sailed past, named, and mapped this area, but it wasn't very useful so they didn't settle it immediately. Delaware was originally a Dutch colony, and settlement began in 1629. This attempt wasn't permanent, and the Swedes came in 1638 to found New Sweden which was the first permanent European settlement of this region. The settlers founded Ft. Christina, which is now Wilmington. The Dutch didn't like this and built a fort (Ft. Casimir) to encircle the Swedes and kick them out. The Swedes captured this fort 3 years later, renaming it Ft. Trinity, but in 1655 the Dutch regained full control over the area. Ft. Trinity was renamed New Amstel. In 1664 the English conquered the Dutch territory, and pillaged New Amstel, renaming it New Castle. Some of the Dutch settlers were sold into slavery in Virginia, and the territory was claimed by New York. However, New York didn't exercise any power over the area, so Maryland incorporated the territory as a county. Because of political conflicts between Maryland and Pennsylvania (which were resolved with the Mason-Dixon Line) Delaware ended up as part of Pennsylvania. They shared a governor, and though Pennsylvania tried to make the entire legislature the same, Delaware had it's own separate assembly. Delaware remained a melting pot of Dutch, Swedes, Finns, French, and English in the region.


	4. New Jersey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey. So I don't know if people actually read this. I enjoy writing, and would like to keep writing. But I'm not getting any feedback. I don't know if this is something people want to read. If people don't want to I'll probably stop. I don't want to, but I do want to know that people actually care about this. With that in mind, please leave comments and kudos. I don't care if the comment is 1 word, it just lets me know that people enjoy reading this and want more. Thank you and enjoy.

America was certain that the cosmos was laughing at him. Certainly some form of cosmic irony was in place in his existence. England had come back a few weeks after America made it home. Walking up to the door, England looked ragged, tired, and sour. He didn’t tell America much, only that the King (Charles II) had called him to Europe to deal with Holland. He had managed to cut out early so as to return to the Continental Colonies. After that, all America could get out of him was that France was a “bloody wanker” whatever that meant. And for a while they were together fairly frequently. Occasionally England would sail south to have a look-see in the Caribbean, or sail north to Newfoundland. While he was away Virginia and her brother would stop by for a few days and talk about their goings on. They would leave well before England came back. And England would  _ always _ return to the Plantation and spend time with America.

 

This pattern went on for many years, until suddenly, about 7 years later, England told America to pack his things and took him north to New Castle. They had a nice house near the center of town, set away from the river. The soonest chance he got, America went to find Delaware. Some days later he grudgingly came to the conclusion that she was gone. Asking after the Fawcett’s led the the discovery that Mr. Fawcett had been sent to Pennsylvania, and he had taken his household with him. When he asked about Delaware directly the results were even more disheartening. Her whereabouts were unknown, some thought she escaped and moved elsewhere, some thought she went with them to Pennsylvania, but no one knew for certain.

 

And so, America came to the conclusion that the cosmos was laughing at him.

 

~~Many Months Later~~

 

England had been called away on business to Europe. At least _this_ _time_ he had the decency to tell Alfred he would be gone for some time. He was sad to see Iggy go, but was also rather excited. The call had come again, this time to the north. So perhaps the random move to Delaware wasn’t for naught, after all he now had less distance to travel.

 

The next day saw Alfred down around the docks. He was looking for a quick ship that would take him up the river. Eventually he found an opening in a mail boat that was traveling upstream. The sailor was just past prime, slightly graying. He had an interesting accent, and when Alfred asked about it, learned that he had immigrated here from Liverpool. All in all, aside from the sea-sickness, the travel from New Castle to Trenton was quite pleasant.

 

When they docked 6 hours later, the day was just beginning to darken. There was a package of letters to be passed out, and Alfred willingly took them to the inn for the skipper. Having accomplished that errand, he went around to the stable of the inn to sleep in the hay.

 

He spent a few days wandering the streets, nabbing bread and other foods from street vendors when he was hungry. About midday 6 days later, he found himself lunching on the Jersey side of the Delaware River right near the banks. He was entertaining himself guessing where the boats were going. One boat was very interesting. Most of the vessels had sails, but this one was a simple row boat. Once it got closer, Alfred could see a boy of about ten was rowing. The boy had blond hair that stood up in spiky tufts. Finally he made it to the banks near a copse of trees. He grabbed a rope and tied the rowboat to some of the exposed roots. Alfred moved to watch him as he reached to tie up the aft as well. Unfortunately the current had shifted the boat so that it was almost out of reach.

 

“Would you like help?” Alfred asked eventually.

 

The boy started in surprise and fell in the river. Alfred ran up to the bank to help pull him up. He had managed to grab an oar, and Alfred reached for the edge of the boat to pull him back up.

 

Finally Alfred helped pull the boy up onto the bank, where he lay coughing and gasping for a few minutes. While he was recovering Alfred quickly tied up the aft of the rowboat and stored the oars.

 

“What the fuck, kid?” snapped the boy.

 

Alfred ducked his head, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you so badly. I just wanted to help. Is that so wrong?”

 

“Yes.” groused the boy, “When you end up knocking me into the damn river, of course it’s fucking wrong.”

 

“Well, I’m  _ sorry _ .” sighed Alfred, “Here, have my lunch.” He shoved his half loaf of bread and some preserved meat at the boy.

 

He looked a little surprised when his hands filled with food, “Well, thanks kid. But you probably need it more than I.”

 

“No, no. I’m sorry. Have my lunch.”

 

The boy sighed, “Let’s share then.” he split the bread in half, and did the same with the meat.

 

They both ate, watching the boats sail past. The boy had taken off his shirt to dry, and Alfred saw that he already had a few small scars down his back.

 

“What’re those from?” Alfred finally asked

 

“What?” the boy looked at him, then down at himself, “Oh, the scars? Just, y’know, the usual shit.”

 

“What?”

 

“None of your fucking business.”

 

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to irritate you.”

 

He sighed, “ ‘S fine, kid”

 

“Why do you keep calling me ‘kid’? I’m not a kid.”

 

“Sure you are. You’re what? 6-ish?” he nodded to himself, “A kid.”

 

Alfred stood up, incensed, “I’m not a  _ kid _ !” he shouted “I’m older than  _ you _ are!” at that he clapped his hands over his mouth. “Umm…. I mean…”

 

The boy stood up and looked down at Alfred for a very long while neither said anything. Finally the boy spoke, “How old are you, then?  _ Kid _ ?”

 

“About 76, roughly?” mumbled Alfred, “I’m not going to hurt you” he added hastily.

 

The boy turned and began to mumble to himself. Alfred was about to back away when the boy turned to him again. “Are you Virginia?”

 

“No! No, I’m not.”

 

“Who are you then?”

 

“British American Colonies?”

 

“Are you or aren’t you? It’s not  _ that _ hard.”

 

“I am.”

 

“Damn, you’ve got to be fucking  _ shitting _ me. … Alright then.”

 

The boy held out his hand to shake. As Alfred carefully took the hand the boy said, “I’m Jersey. Formerly a part of New Netherlands.”

 

“Jersey. Ok.” nodded Alfred, “Wait, East or West?”

 

“Dunno. Right now I hate the Yankee to my North, so West I guess. More of both. It’s a fucking headache is what it is though.”

 

“Well, it’s been a pleasure to meet you, Jersey.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, sure kid. Look, I’ve gotta go. I’m apprenticed to the baker and I’m late as it is. Hey, why don’t you drop by here tomorrow morning and I’ll get you some breakfast or somethin’? Send you on your way?”

 

“Can’t I stay? Just talk or something? I’ve barely  _ met _ you!”

 

“Fine. But I’m busy and I’m not going to be your fucking babysitter.”

 

“Thanks!” smiled Alfred, hugging Jersey and almost knocking them both over.

 

Jersey snorted, disentangled himself from Alfred, pulled his shirt back on, and ran into Trenton.

 

The following week passed quickly for Alfred. He would head to the bank each morning, where Jersey would give him some bread. They would talk a little about what they had done and what they were doing. Then Alfred would explore Trenton and listen to the people who were there. In the evening Alfred would go back to the Inn’s stable to sleep. He would be up before sunrise and would arrive at the river just before dawn.

 

_/-o0o-\\_

 

The call came to him again at the end of the week, pulling him across the river. When he next saw Jersey he brought it up (in his own roundabout way).

 

“Jersey? Pennsylvania’s across the Delaware right?”

 

“Yeah. Strange person she is, Pennsylvania.”

 

“You know her?”

 

“Sure. Am I not al _ lowed _ to?”

 

“No, just all the other colonies I’ve met were self contained, and didn’t really know anyone else.”

 

“Ah. Well, she showed up a couple years ago. I can take you across the river if you’d like.”

 

Alfred grinned, “Would you?”

 

“Wouldn’t offer shit if I didn’t mean it. ‘Sides, today’s my day off and I usually go over and talk.”

 

A few minutes later saw the both of them standing in Pennsylvania. They faced into the rich farmland, Jersey seemed disenchanted with the landscape, but Alfred found it beautiful. Very pastoral and kinda like how Iggy described his countryside.

 

Jersey led the way up a curling footpath away from the river. Eventually they found themselves at a farmer’s house. Jersey walked right past and headed to the barn. Without even knocking he walked into the permanent dusk within.

 

“Hey, Jersey, are you sure we’re allowed to --”

 

“Hush kid. It’ll be fine.”

 

“But Jersey isn’t this breaking and entering?”

 

“No. We aren’t breaking any of their shit to enter.”

 

Jersey led Alfred to the back of the barn, where the hay was stored for the horses. Laying in the hay was a girl. She was wearing a practical dress of coarse fabric and an apron, nothing fancy. Surrounding her was a brood of bright yellow baby chickens. She herself was very strange, she was deathly pale, and if Alfred hadn’t seen her breathe he would’ve thought her dead. Her hair matched her skin, a fair white like the moon, so that she seemed to glow in the faint light of the barn.

 

Jersey coughed sharply and the girl opened her eyes. Alfred almost flinched back, they were as strange as the rest of her, a deep blood red. Her eyes passed over Jersey briefly, before settling on Alfred. After a pregnant pause, her face broke into a grin.

 

“My my, look what the cat dragged in!” she laughed, “Come, sit, be blessed by my amazing presence! Would you like to pet the chickies?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historical Notes:
> 
> This story is set in 1683.
> 
> New Jersey was originally part of New Netherlands, a southern continuation of what would become New York. The southern part of New Jersey had a little bit New Sweden as well. New Netherlands was fought over between the Dutch and the English, but by 1674 New Netherlands was well and truly an English Colony. New Jersey was given to two of the Duke of York's friends. They sold land to immigrants with the expectation that they would have taxable income, but the colonists didn't pay the quit-rents (taxes). Because of this half of New Jersey was sold to Pennsylvania. This divided New Jersey into East and West Jersey. The border between the two was disputed for a very long while. In 1688 New Jersey (still at this point East and West) became a part of the Dominion of New England. They remained a part of this union until it was dismantled in 1689. Both parts of New Jersey were reunited in 1702 as a royal colony, not a proprietary one. In 1708 New Jersey shared a Governor with New York (they weren't very happy about that). The colony petitioned the crown and received their own Governor in 1738.


	5. Pennsylvania

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took a while...
> 
> I hope you enjoy anyways!

_ “My my, look what the cat dragged in!” she laughed, “Come, sit, be blessed by my amazing presence! Would you like to pet the chickies?” _

 

“Umm --” began Alfred.

 

“No,” Jersey interrupted him, “Penny, this is America. The  _ full _ colony.”

 

Pennsylvania turned to look back at Jersey, grin never leaving, “Yeah, so? And don’t call me Penny.”

 

“ _ Don’t you know what this means?! _ ” he hissed, ignoring her second statement.

 

“Sure. We’re not considered fully separate. But wasn’t that obvious before? Here.” Pennsylvania gave Jersey and Alfred a chick each. Jersey began to mindlessly pet it, Alfred simply held his in wonder.

 

“Fine,” groused Jersey, “be that way. I don’t give a shit.”

 

“Good,” smiled Pennsylvania, “Pacifism is the proper way to react to any situation.”

 

“What makes you think I was being a fucking pacifist?”

 

“If you don’t quote  _ give a shit _ , than you will not do anything. Ergo pacifism.”

 

Their conversation went on for a while, both of them bantering back and forth. Alfred was content for the moment to be ignored. After all, there were two horses to look at and he could have sworn there was a cat somewhere.

 

Finally, Jersey decided that he had to head back to his side of the river. After he left, Pennsylvania turned her focus back to Alfred. He stood nervously as she walked around him as if he were a prize pig.

 

“You’re a little scrawny to be the whole of the colonies America.”

 

“It ain’t  _ my _ fault i haven’t had my growth spurt yet.”

 

“Eh, whatever. So how do you like it so far? This place is pretty amazing, right!”

 

“It’s very pretty.”

 

She looked at him again, “You seem like a good kid, America. I was afraid Jersey might’ve rubbed off on you. But it seems my fears were ill founded.”

 

“Thanks Pennsylvania.”

 

She pursed her lips, “I don’t really like Pennsylvania. Penny also doesn’t really fit.”

 

“Do you have a name you would prefer?”

 

“No? Maybe Sylvania? I don’t know.”

 

At that moment a voiced called from the farm house, “Penny dear! Come help me in the kitchen!”

 

“Yes Mrs. Powell!” she turned to Alfred, “Come on, let’s go.”

 

Without waiting for an answer, she dragged Alfred with her to the house. A matronly woman was standing in the kitchen fussing over a pot of stew. When they both entered the woman just sighed. Alfred wasn’t expecting this, but was glad she wasn’t mad.

 

“Penny, why must you always find strays?” she sighed before turning to Alfred, “Hello child. What is your name?”

 

“I’m Alfred, Mrs. Powell. Alfred Kirkland.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Alfred. Now,” she continued, addressing Pennsylvania, “ _ You _ need to gather the plates and set out the cornbread for Dylan and Gavin. And go fetch the ale. Alfred, the plates are there in the cupboard, go fetch yourself one and I’ll serve you some stew.”

 

Alfred was sitting at the table with a full plate of stew and cornbread when two dusty men came in. One was about the age of Mrs. Powell, and the other was about 15 years old. Both immediately went to grab plates of food and tucked in as soon as they sat at the table. Pennsylvania had returned with a jug of ale after setting out the cornbread, and once everyone was sitting she poured everyone a cup of ale. For a few minutes there was silence, while everyone ate.

 

Finally the older man spoke, “Arwen, who is this boy?”

 

Alfred was about to speak, but Mrs. Powell answered for him, “This is Alfred Kirkland. Another one of Penny’s strays.”

 

“I see. Well, while he’s here I expect him to work.”

 

“Of course, Dylan. I’m sure he’ll be kept very busy, right Penny?”

 

“Of course miss.” murmured Penny, looking down at her plate.

 

The rest of the meal was held in silence. Once Dylan and Gavin had finished eating they left again. Penny and Alfred collected the dishes while Mrs. Powell set about preparing supper. Penny led Alfred to a small creek that ran near the houses. It was pretty, but she didn’t give him much time to enjoy it, as she immediately set him to work cleaning all of the used dishes. She herself sat next to him on the bank and watched him clean, pointing out spots he had missed. Once they had brought the cleaned dishes back into the house Penny led Alfred to the small garden on the side of the house. She quickly demonstrated how the weeding was done, before assigning him half of the garden. After they finished that, they went back to the barn. She led him back to the back, where there was an empty stall. Inside there was a rickety bed covered with older blankets. Across from the bed was a small chest. While Alfred was looking around Penny grabbed some haversacks from under her bed. She and Alfred quickly filled them with clean straw, and she laid them up in the loft. Alfred found some unused horse blankets and he had a bed.

 

The next week followed in the same pattern. Alfred would follow Pennsylvania around and help her with her usual chores. At the end of the week, Jersey came back. Again, he and Pennsylvania talked, but this time Alfred actually listened and offered his own opinions. Once Jersey left, Pennsylvania simply remained sitting and seemed to be contemplating something.

 

Finally she spoke, “America. How would you like to run away to Philadelphia with me?”

 

“I- Sure, Penny.” he sighed, “I’ll go to Philadelphia with you. But what about Jersey?”

 

“He’ll be fine without me. We don’t need each other. And if he’s really that desperate he can always send letters.”

 

“What about the Powells? Arwen and Dylan and Gavin?”

 

“They’ll be fine without me. Now get packing!”

  
  


~~2 days later~~

  
  


The city of Philadelphia wasn’t terribly large or terribly small. Alfred and Penny had come in from the northeast, following the flow of the river. Once they arrived in the city Penny began to look for a place to stay, but Alfred simply wandered through the city in a daze. He didn’t know where he was going, and Penny had to run to catch him so they wouldn’t be split up. Alfred ended up walking around like this for an hour, Penny following behind him. (She wasn’t happy about it at all, and expressed her complaints rather loudly. Unfortunately for her, Alfred wasn’t listening.)

 

Alfred finally stopped in the middle of town. “You know Penny, I have the feeling that this town is going to be very important.”

 

Penny stood next to him, and used her few inches of height to look down on him, “Do you now?”

 

He looked up at her, dead serious, “Yes.” he broke into a grin, “Come on, I’m hungry. Let’s find a place to eat and sleep.”

 

The next morning saw Pennsylvania looking for someplace to stay more permanently. Alfred followed her around, mostly because he had nothing else to do. Finally, after almost an entire day of seeking a household, Penny managed to get herself a job of sorts at the Quaker’s church.

 

Alfred enjoyed it quite a lot. He’d never been to a Quaker church before, and he found himself in love with their religion. So for the next week, Alfred stayed near the church. He didn’t, however, spend his whole day there. He went out and spent a lot of time at the bar, listening to the news that people brought in. Penny didn’t go with him on these excursions because the women always managed to drag her away (to her chagrin). But she eagerly listened to what news he did bring back.

 

By the end of the week, Alfred felt the call again. This time to the north. When he brought it up to Penny she simply smiled and set about helping him pack. Early the next morning, Alfred was on a trading boat headed to New York City. Pennsylvania stood by the dock until she couldn’t see the boat anymore. Then she turned to face the city.

 

Alfred stood by the railing for a few reasons. One, to watch as Penny and her city slowly grew smaller, and two, so that he wouldn’t have to run anywhere when he got seasick. But when he couldn’t see Philadelphia anymore, he moved to the other side of the boat, to face his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm glad you've made it to the end of the chapter! If you enjoyed kudos and comments are greatly appreciated, Thanks!
> 
> Historical Notes:
> 
> Pennsylvania was founded in 1682, when settlers under William Penn moved in. The land was granted by the King Charles II as a repayment of debt to the Penn family. Because Penn was a Quaker, the colony was much more opening and accepting of other cultures. They focused on a policy of nonviolence, in keeping with their religion. But the main focus of the colony was religious tolerance. The city of Philadelphia was the first planned city, and was built in 1683. It was one of the few colonies that remained in the hand of a proprietor, and didn't eventually become a "royal" colony. The colony had generally peaceful relations with the Native Peoples in the area, trying to fairly buy the land that the settlers would use. Pennsylvania had border conflicts with Maryland, and eventually incorporated Delaware as part of the colony. The policies of acceptance that were present in Pennsylvania made it a popular place to emigrate to. Many Germans and Welsh moved to Pennsylvania, along with the usual English, Dutch, and Scots-Irish. Pennsylvania was also almost not called Pennsylvania. It was named after William Penn's father, but Penn himself thought the name was to pretentious, and wanted Sylvania or New Wales to be the name of the new colony.


	6. New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well, it's been a while, hasn't it. Sorry for taking so long, but life is very busy :(
> 
> still, i hope you enjoy!

New York was awfully dreary. That was all Alfred could think when he had recovered from his seasickness. There were thick gray clouds hovering over the city, threatening rain. People within the city were busy, running back and forth, conducting business. They seemed to not mind the inclement weather. Alfred curled into himself and burrowed into his jacket. It was scrappy, but it had seen him through worse. Actually that was a lie. It wasn’t even his jacket. Penny had gotten it for him before he left, but it was worn through in parts.

 

After getting over the weather, Alfred made his way towards the more central part of town, away from the docks. He was going to go towards the wealthier part of town, since it seemed as though most of the colonies were attracted to wealth. (There were exceptions, there always were. Mary, Jersey, Penny.) So actually not most of them, but he figured it was as good a place as any to start. Because usually as soon as he entered the area under the jurisdiction of the particular colony the call would end, and he’d be on his own. However, as he was passing a rather nondescript street that seemed to have a decent number of businesses on it, he felt as if he just _had_ to go see what was down that street. So he turned.

 

Alfred was walking toward the left edge of the street, looking at some of the businesses when he accidentally bumped into someone. They both stumbled backwards from each other, and the boy Alfred had run into dropped his packages on the ground.

 

“Godverdomme! Kijk uit je doppen!” he snarled.

 

“Sorry” squeaked Alfred, “here, let me help you.”

 

He frantically gathered all of the packages that the boy had been carrying. The boy simply grabbed them out of his hand and went off to where his errand was, without once looking back.

 

After the boy disappeared down the street Alfred didn’t really know what to do. He finally decided on a tour of the city. It was nice, he supposed. Very busy. Traders and merchants and trappers and farmers were everywhere. Essentially, anyone who had goods to sell or provided services for trade was somehow involved with the city.

 

~~Time Skip~~

 

By the evening Alfred was footsore from wandering everywhere, and very hungry. He found a nice looking pub away from the wharf that was relatively busy, but not crowded. He bought a serving of the soup and a glass of ale and sat in a corner to watch everyone. People came and went, and most seemed to know each other, there were smiles and loud greetings whenever people came in. The whole room was full of chatter. Suddenly there was a thunk at his table. The boy from earlier sat down heavily, with a tankard of ale and a plate of meat.

 

“What are you doing here?” asked Alfred, hesitantly.

 

The boy snorted, “Could ask you the same question, actually.”

 

“Oh,” murmured Alfred. He waited a bit, but the boy didn’t say anything, so he turned back to his meal.

 

“Hey,” the boy tapped at the table angrily, “You didn’t answer my question. Why are you here?”

 

Alfred looked back up at the boy, “I wanted to see New York. Is there something wrong with that?”

 

The boy frowned, “Yes. Who _are_ you?”

 

“What do you mean, ‘who am I’?”

 

“You _clearly_ aren’t human, so who are you?”

 

“How do you know I’m not?”

 

The boy shrugged, “I don’t know, you just feel older.”

 

“Oh, well then. I’m the British American Colonies. Most people call me America though.”

 

“America?” the boy said, testing the word out, “Well. Hallo dan, I suppose. Ik ben New York.”

 

Alfred stuck out his hand, with a large friendly smile “Hello New York!”

 

New York shook it, albeit a little hesitantly. His hand was coarse, calloused. Clearly, New York had seen his fair share of work.

 

They both sat down again, across from each other, and finished their meals. As they ate, more and more people began to come in. At some point someone brought out a fiddle and began to play. When the people started to dance, New York stood up.

 

“Hey, America. Do you have a place to stay? The City can be a cold place without family.”

 

“I don’t, actually.” smiled Alfred, “And I’m honored that you think of me as family.”

 

New York nodded and gestured for Alfred to follow, leading him out into the cold night.

 

They walked not to far, to a storefront. New York quickly unlocked the door and let them in, locking the door after they’d gone through.

 

Alfred looked around in wonder. There were many varieties of goods, from tools to fabric. New York didn’t seem very impressed by the room, and led Alfred quickly to the back. There was a small cot next to a chest.

 

“Here,” said New York, handing Alfred some quilts, “You can sleep on the floor. It’s clean ik beloof.”

 

~~tijd overslaan~~

 

The next morning New York was up before dawn. The shopkeeper expected him to be ready early to set up. Alfred woke up with him and helped him around some. At dawn the owner came down from where he was sleeping and helped New York make breakfast. He was surprisingly calm about the presence of Alfred, and let him sit and watch. 

 

He then went through all of his wares, to make sure there had been no thefts, and to make sure that the expensive items were on greater display. After the displays were set up, New York gathered things together as packages to people who had ordered them delivered.

 

Once all of the orders had been packaged, York grabbed a stack of packages and headed out the door, Alfred dutifully following. As they walked down the street York pointed out important places and important people. At each door, York would speak briefly to the head servant, or whoever opened the door, deliver the package, and ask for any additional orders.

 

The whole day passed this way, rushing back and forth across the city delivering packages and collecting orders. And that evening, both New York and Alfred sat down to their dinner with a tired sense of accomplishment.

 

The rest of the week followed in a similar fashion, with Alfred taking on a more independent role. He would go out and observe what happened in the city. He also began to take the mail for the shopkeeper occasionally. He enjoyed it, he really did. It gave him a way to be with his people. He could see them in all their imperfections.

 

The two weeks Alfred spent with New York were a crash course in business. He saw how York and the shopkeeper used people to their advantage. Reading body language to get them to do what they wanted, and saying the right thing at the right time. It was an art, and the shopkeeper was a master of it. New York was too, when he was trying.

 

Eventually, the call came again, pulling Alfred to the east. New York noticed almost immediately that something had changed. Once he found out what was going on Alfred was bundled on the nearest ship sailing to Providence. He was given a better jacket and some more supplies, courtesy of the shopkeeper. But by the end of the day, he was watching the city fade into the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Historical Notes:
> 
> New York became an English Colony in 1664. It was previously a Dutch colony, unlike Delaware, New York was given protections when the English gained the Colony, like freedom of religion, and the continuation of Dutch practices. New York was named after the Duke of York, who it was given to. It became a royal province in when James (Duke of York) took the throne, and in 1688 became part of the Dominion of New England. This fell apart in 1689 with news of the Glorious Revolution. Because of it's ideal location, New York was a center of trade in the Colonies. New York City was a hub of activity in trade, and ship building as a trade flourished. Overall, the state was very separate the English, Dutch, and Germans kept to themselves with their own languages. Despite that, it was an incredibly diverse colony.
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Godverdomme! Kijk uit je doppen! - Goddamnit! Look where you're going!  
> Hallo dan - Hello then  
> Ik ben - I am  
> ik beloof - I promise  
> tijd overslaan - time skip


	7. Author's Note

Hey guys! So I started this out with not a lot of inspiration, and I think this work is struggling. So I'm gonna rewrite it as a one shot, which was my original idea. When that comes up, I'll put in one last chapter here reminding you guys, and then after that I'm gonna delete this story.

Sorry, I just don't think I can finish this story with good quality writing. Hopefully the one shot will be better. It will still follow the basic guideline of this story, and have the same title, but it'll be better quality and stuff.

Thanks for reading this. And I am sorry, I just can't finish it as is.

See you soon I hope.

**Author's Note:**

> This is set roughly in the year 1675. 100 years before the Revolutionary War.
> 
> bràthair - brother in Scotts Gaelic


End file.
